This chapter will be more of a filler than anything, but it will provide answers for the plot.
Also, if anyone doesn't believe in Heaven or Hell, or is offended by anything of that sort, don't read any further.
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, or the Inferno.
000
Tonight I'm in a tough spot.
Normally that would mean I'm dueling a really strong opponent, or something like that, but not this time.
I was visited by a strange woman, who brought me down to the fiery depths of Hell, in order to…
Well, at the moment I'm not sure of her intentions.
But after yesterday, I've got to be careful of who I meet.
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CHAPTER 11
PANDEMONIUM
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Katie blinks, looking around at her surroundings, she sees that she's in a room draped with tapestries, at one end sits an empty throne.
"Am I still dreaming?" she wonders out loud, looking down to see that she's back in her every-day clothes, with the Puzzle hanging around her neck.
All of a sudden, the galloping of horses is heard, and from a portal, emerges a figure riding on a black horse, wearing a black cloak, the only thing you can see of its body is two pale hands gripping the reigns.
"Who are you?" Katie demands as the horseman stops right by her.
"You mortals call me the Grim Reaper," the figure says in a voice that is oddly feminine. "But you can just call me Jess," she says, and lowers her hood, the woman before Katie could only be described as beautiful, with long dark brown hair pulled into a braid, she looks at the young duelist with piercing blue eyes.
"The Grim Reaper? I always though the Grim Reaper was, you know, a guy," Katie gulps. "Am I dead?"
"Actually, the mortals perceive me as genderless, but the Angel of Death can be a man or a woman, its been me for about 10,000 years now," Jess says. "And no, you are not dead, but I have come to fetch you for a very important meeting."
"Why?" Katie asks.
"You can sense it, can't you, the darkness spreading, there is a balance in the universe between light and darkness, but every so often, someone attempts to throw off that balance, someone of darkness," Jess says. "The darkness is usually spread from one source, created by humans in an attempt to cover the world in darkness, but the source isn't always from earth, sometimes not even from Hell. I want you to speak at a meeting of the elite of Hell."
"What? Why me?" Katie asks. "And why Hell?"
"You've seen the answer, Doppler, she is a demon, but not like one that is under the command of the devil," Jess says. "I cannot tell you all the details, you must come with me to learn them, but only if you want to."
Katie thinks for a minute, and nods, then climbs up onto the saddle with Jess, and the horse gallops off through a portal.
000
They emerge onto a plain of fire, in front of them is a gate carved into a mountain above them are the following words:
"I AM THE WAY TO THE CITY OF WOE.
I AM THE WAY TO A FORSAKEN PEOPLE.
I AM THE WAY INTO ETERNAL SORROW.
SACRED JUSTICE MOVED MY ARCHITECT
I WAS RAISED HERE BY DIVINE OMNIPOTENCE,
PRIMORDIAL LOVE AND ULTIMATE INTELLECT.
ONLY THOSE ELEMENTS TIME CANNOT WEAR
WERE
BEFORE ME, AND BEYOND TIME I STAND.
ABANDON ALL HOPE YE WHO ENTER
HERE."
"This is your last chance to turn back," Jess says as they dismount the black horse. "After this, you must travel through Hell until you reach the 9th circle, and meet with its ruler."
"I'm ready to go," Katie says. To be honest, I'm not sure if I'm ready, but I want to learn more about what's going on, she thinks, and Jess nods, and they pass through the gates of Hell, and emerge onto the First Circle of Hell, Limbo.
000
Instead of sounds of suffering, a sigh meets the two when they enter; Katie sees before her the souls of limbo.
"The unbaptized children, the one's who died before the age of Christian mysteries, so they didn't worship the Trinity," She recalls from reading Dante's Inferno.
"And the Virtuous Pagans," Jess says, motioning to a group apart. "Those who because of their great works on earth, are given ease in Hell thanks to god's favor."
The 2 pass through the first Circle, and enter the second; standing before them is the judge of the dead, Minos.
"Who dares attempt passage without my judgment?" Minos bellows at Katie, causing her to cower before the demon.
"Minos, Judge of the Dead, she has been allowed to pass through each door, and travel to meet with the one who resides over the 9th circle," Jess says, not buckling to the voice of Minos. "She shall pass, unless thou would rather deal with me."
Minos glowers for a moment, and waves them pass through a door behind him.
000
The rest of Katie's journey through Hell wasn't pleasant, with each circle that passed, she saw the terrors that the souls had brought upon themselves in life.
In the 3rd circle, she saw the beast Cerebus feed on the Gluttons.
In the 4th circle, she saw the never-ending clash between the Hoarders and the Wasters.
The 5th circle, she saw in the Marshes of Styx, the buried souls of the Sullen, and the actions of the Wrathful.
It took some coaxing for Katie to pass through the Fallen Angels of the 6th circle, and before them where the Heretics, those who would not believe in life after death, and for that where cast into fiery graves.
In the 1st Round of the 7th circle, Katie saw those who where violent against their neighbors, forever immersed in boiling blood, and the centaurs that guarded over them.
In the 2nd Round of the 7th circle, Katie saw the fates of those who where violent against themselves, those who had committed suicide, trapped in trees as the Harpies fed on them for eternity.
And then came the 3rd round of the 7th circle, those who where violent against God, Nature, and Art, trapped in burning sand, while fire rained down on them, Katie was getting a little afraid.
"Do not worry, Katie, the terrors of Hell cannot affect the living, they are reserved for the souls that are damned to live here for all eternity," Jess says to the small girl.
"Malebolge," Katie mutters, looking at the long trek ahead of them through the 8th circle.
"You will see things here that frighten even me," Jess says. I remember when I first came here; it was 10,000 years ago, at the height of Atlantian Power, and then the Orichalcos came, when I died, I was granted the power to rule over death, as long as I would ferry souls between life and death, and sometimes I regret accepting that offer, but now I cannot change it."
"You where once mortal?" Katie asks.
"Yes, I once had a family, a husband, a daughter, and everything went downhill from the day the Orichalcos came," Jess says.
"Your husband, was he…" Katie begins.
"Don't worry about me past, its your future that's at stake here at the moment, Katie, just keep your heart just, and this will be your last trip to Hell," Jess says, placing her hand on Katie as they continue their trek.
In the 1st Bolgia, where the seducers are whipped by horned demons with great lashes, the demons symbolize the sinners' own vicious natures, embodiments of their own guilty consciences.
In the 2nd Bolgia, the Flatterers are sunk in excretement, the true equivalent of their false flatteries on Earth.
The 3rd Bolgia contains the Simoniacs, who are placed upside-down with the soles of their feet ablaze in holes. The heat of the blaze is proportioned to their guilt.
The 4th Bolgia contains Fortune Tellers and Diviners, who have their heads turned backwards on their bodies through all eternity, their eyes blinded with tears, for they cannot see their past or future.
The 5th Bolgia contains the Grafters, who are sunk in boiling pitch, and are torn to pieces by the claws and grappling hooks of demons.
The 6th Bolgia contains the Hypocrites, who are laden with heavy robes, and must walk a narrow path for all eternity.
The 7th Bolgia contains the Thieves, who are doomed to have lizards wrapped around their bodies like coils of rope, when one is bitten, he is set ablaze, and reforms painfully from the ashes.
The 8th Bolgia contains the Evil Councilors, who move about within great flames.
The 9th Bolgia contains the Sowers of Discord, who are hacked and torn throughout eternity, and must drag themselves back to the demon.
The 10th Bolgia contains the Falsifiers, who are punished by afflictions of every sense: darkness, stench, filth, loathsome diseases, and a shrieking din.
From there, they emerge onto the 9th circle of Hell, the throne of the Devil, and where the betrayers and mutineers are tortured.
Before them sits a woman, laden in a black robe, and with red hair, her skin is very tanned, and an unholy energy appears to radiate from her body.
"Is that? The devil?" Katie asks.
"Yes, it's a long story, and I don't want to get into the details, so lets just get this over with," Jess says as they reach the woman seated on the throne, she kneels. "Hail Lilith, Queen of Hell, and Guardian of the dead."
"So, this is the new chosen of light," Lilith says in a voice with a strangely Russian accent. "It is only under the gravest of circumstances that a mortal is permitted to travel through the fires of Hell, young Katie."
"I can understand why," Katie mumbles. "So what is your reasoning for bringing me here? I thought the Devil would love to see the world shrouded in darkness and evil."
"A common misconception, spread by the Church no less," Lilith, says. "I am held here by Divine Law, young Katie, and any demon that in the past has infiltrated the Earth, would do it out of greed, and the pursuit of power, for that unfortunately is how Politics is run here in Hell, not unlike how it is run in many countries around your world."
Images flash of men like Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Fidel Castro, Nero, and several other past dictators that Katie had read about.
"Here, these men get their just deserts, much like on Earth, souls here are given sentences, depending on their sin, some are here for a short time, and are repentant, and sent to Heaven, but other's, some will spend all eternity here, they are the murderers, the dictators, the hypocrites, the terrorists, every enemy that the United States has faced in the name of Peace," Lilith says. "Do you remember reading in your history books about a man named Viktor Gronzy?"
"Uhh, yeah, he was the leader of the Russian Federation during the incident in 2012," Katie says. "He almost destroyed the world because he refused to self-destruct his weapons."
"Yes, that is true, now if I may show you something, this was 11 days before the incident," Lilith says, and a screen appears, and shows an auditorium in the United Nations building. "This is his message to the world, his, legacy so to speak."
On screen…The packed auditorium grows quiet, the television cameras rolling as Viktor Ilyich Gronzy walks to the podium to address the members of the United Nations Security Council, and the rest of the world.
"Madame President, Mr. Secretary-General, members of the Security Council, honored guests—this is a sad day. Despite mandates and warnings from the General Assembly and the Security Council, despite the exhausted efforts of preventive diplomacy and peacemaking by the Secretary-General and his special envoys, one nation—one rogue but very powerful nation continues to threaten the world with the most dangerous weapon in the history of mankind.
"The Cold War is over, or so we are told, the virtues of capitalism triumphing over the evils of Communism. While the economies of the West continue to grow, the Russian Federation struggles to rebuild. Our people are destitute, starving by the thousands. Do we blame the West? No. Russia's problems were created by Russians, and it is our responsibility to save ourselves."
The angelic blue eyes project a childlike innocence into the camera. "I am a man of peace. Through the diplomacy of words I have convinced our Arab and Serbian and Korean brothers to lay down their guns against their sworn enemies, because I know and believe that in my heart that violence solves nothing and that the wrongs of the past cannot be undone. Morality is a personal choice. Each of us shall be judged by the Creator when the time comes, yet no man has a God-given right to inflict pain and suffering on another in the name of morality."
Gronzy's eyes grow harsh. "Let him without sin cast the first stone. The Cold War is dead, yet the United States, by virtue of strong economy and military might continues to police the world, deciding whether the policies of another nation are morally sound. Like the school bully, America balls its fist, threatening violence, all in the name of peace. As the most powerful hypocrite in the world, the United States arms the oppressed, until they become the oppressors. Israel, South Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, Taiwan—how many more must die before the United States realizes that the threat of violence only leads to more violence, that tyranny, disguised by the best of intentions, is still tyranny?"
The eyes soften. "And now the world bears witness to a new type of threat. Possessing the most sophisticated fighting force in history is not enough. The domination of space is not enough. The implementation of their Missile Defense Shield is not enough. Now, the capitalists have a new weapon, one that changes the rules of the Nuclear Stalemate. Why does the United States continue to test these weapons and deny responsibility? Does the American president take us all for fools? Do his excuses soothe the frail nerves of the Australian and Malaysian people? Where will the next detonation occur? China? The Russian Federation? Or perhaps the Middle East, where three American aircraft carriers and their fleets are poised to strike all in the name of justice.
"The Russian Federation joins China and the rest of the world in condemning these new threats of violence. Today, we state this warning, and let me be perfectly clear, lest our own morality be judged. We will not live in fear. We will no longer buckle to the bully tactics of the West. The next Pure-Fusion detonation shall be the last, for we will interpret this as a declaration of Nuclear War!"
The assembly erupts in Pandemonium, the protests of the United States delegates going unheard as Victor Gronzy's security guards rush him out of the building.
Back to the story…Lilith shuts off the screen. "Gronzy's message was a warning to the world, despite his words, within two weeks, he was prepared to launch an arsenal of Nuclear Weapons at the United States, also in the name of peace."
"Gronzy was a hypocrite, he ignored the needs of his own people, defying a lot of human rights laws," Katie points out.
"Yes, that is true," Lilith, sighs. "He even blamed the whole thing on the Communists, and executed hundreds of people."
"Busiest week I've ever had since the Holocaust ended," Jess says.
"The church and other's blame the evil of the world on my influence, even going as so far to suppressing the sacred feminine, the very root of all religion," Lilith says. "But it is not my job to influence other's to do evil, I only guard the dead, and torture those who did wrong in their lives 10 times over, believe me when I say that I didn't want any of this to happen."
"So, uhh, why am I here?" Katie asks.
"You must be told of what is transpiring in the Duelist Dimension tournament, it isn't usually my place to interfere with the light's doings, but I have no choice," Lilith says with a sigh. "Do you know anything about Doppelgangers?"
"Yes, they're supposed to be evil clones," Katie says.
"There is an extremely powerful Doppelganger in the Duelist Dimension, you've seen her, a woman shrouded in darkness, well, woman might not be the right word," Lilith says. "It takes on the form of whoever the hero of that dimension is, in this case, its your world, originally, the hero was another, someone else carrying a Millennium Item, the Eye to be exact, and then you came along."
"Me? I'm the hero of this dimension?" Katie asks.
"When the darkness begins to spread, two opposite forces are chosen, usually the hero has someone in their family who did something to save the world at one time or another," Lilith says. "Such as your father, and to a certain extent, the father of the hero before you."
"Who was it before me?" Katie asks.
"Kaiba, Ariel Kaiba," Lilith answers. "I cannot tell you the exact details, and I'm afraid that our time here is almost up, but I will tell you this, if you succeed Doppler will fall for good, the fate of the world, no, the universe, is in your hands, Katie."
Katie nods.
"Its time to go," Jess says, and opens a portal, the two enter, and Katie turns to get one last look at Lilith.
"Remember, Katie," Lilith says as they disappear.
000
The two return to the room with tapestries.
"I have one more thing to give you before you leave, Katie," Jess says, and reaches into her robe, and takes out a Duel Monsters card, and hands it to Katie. "To defeat Doppler, you must get the third of the Lux Gods, this will help you on your way."
Saint Goddess of the Tide? Katie wonders, and then wakes up.
000
Back in her room, Katie looks around, wondering if all of that was real, she sees the card Jess gave her lying on the table.
The virtual sun rises, and Katie looks out at it.
If the fate of the Universe is in my hands, I must make sure I am successful, she thinks, looking at the Millennium Puzzle. Yami, you and I have our work cut out for us.
000
Phew, long chapter.
I hope this one got you thinking about how the world is run, for that was my intention.
Also, I don't own the little sequence back there, that I borrowed from a book by Steve Alten.
Anyway, next chapter, its finally Darren's turn to duel again, and he's faced with a challenge from the terrors of children's nightmares. Don't miss, "Upstart Goblin."
